Amazon Promised Drone Delivery In Five Years Five Years Ago

On December 1, 2013, Amazon announced its plans to deliver packages by drone in just 'four or five years' on a 60 Minutes episode with then-host Charlie Rose. As The Associated Press reports, it's officially been five years and drone deliveries seem to be nowhere in sight. 'Bezos made billions of dollars by transforming the retail sector,' reports The Associated Press. 'But overcoming the regulatory hurdles and safety issues posed by drones appears to be a challenge even for the world's wealthiest man.' From the report: The day may not be far off when drones will carry medicine to people in rural or remote areas, but the marketing hype around instant delivery of consumer goods looks more and more like just that -- hype. Drones have a short battery life, and privacy concerns can be a hindrance, too. Amazon says it is still pushing ahead with plans to use drones for quick deliveries, though the company is staying away from fixed timelines. 'We are committed to making our goal of delivering packages by drones in 30 minutes or less a reality,' says Amazon spokeswoman Kristen Kish. The Seattle-based online retail giant says it has drone development centers in the United States, Austria, France, Israel and the United Kingdom.

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